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We have measured tritium and helium isotopies in the upper 1000 m in samples from P17N, and in the entire water column from P14N. The P17N track in the north-east Pacific crosses both the subtropical and the Alaska gyres. A preliminary look at the data shows a clear separation of the two gyres and signs of ventilation in the Alaska gyre. Tritium levels appear comparable in the north-east sector of the subtropical gyre to those in the Alaska gyre.
In the Aleutian Basin of Bering Sea we see elevated levels of tritium below 1000 m. While this corroborates the higher than expected levels of CFCs measured at the same locations, the levels appear inconsistent with a natural source from the shelf. Measurements from a station near Amchitka Pass suggest that the observed 3He anomalies at sill depth are a result of direct exchange with the Pacific through the Pass.
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